The Alternative Factor
| date = 2267 | stardate = 3087.6 | written = | director = | novelization = Star Trek 10 by James Blish | episode = TOS season 1x20 | production = 6149-20 | airdate = }} "The Alternative Factor" was the 20th episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, in the show's first season, first aired on 30 March 1967. The episode was written by , directed by and novelized in Star Trek 10 by James Blish. Investigating a "winking out" of the universe, the finds a time traveler named Lazarus who has counterparts in both the positive and antimatter universes. If both versions of Lazarus meet at the same time—outside of a magnetic corridor between universes—it will mean the end of everything! Summary left|thumb|The . The is preparing to get underway, finishing a planetary survey in standard orbit around an iron-silica-type uncharted planet. Suddenly, the starship is struck by a strange effect, being buffeted by a strange magnetic "blinking" effect where the surrounding universe, to the edge of sensor range, seems to partially fade out of existence. After the effect ceases, scanners show a humanoid lifeform on the planet surface. Log entries ;Captain's log, stardate 3087.6 : While investigating an uncharted planet, the , and at least this entire quadrant of space, has been subjected to violent, unexplained stress and force. Sensors have reported the presence of a Human being on the planet below who might be connected with the phenomenon. With my first officer and a security team, I have set out in search of him. thumb|[[Spock.]] ;Captain's log, stardate 3088.3 : We continue to orbit the dead planet, which seems to be the source of the phenomenon which has struck the ''Enterprise, and all sections of the galaxy, once again. As for Lazarus, the story he tells me about the humanoid continues to trouble me.'' left|thumb|The . ;Captain's log, stardate 3088.7 : We are no closer to finding an answer to the strange phenomenon than we were at the beginning. Not only have two of my crewmen been attacked, two of our dilithium crystals are missing, and without them, the ''Enterprise cannot operate at full power. They must be found.'' References Characters Episode characters :Barstow • Clifford Brent • Bill Hadley • • James T. Kirk • Lazarus • Ryan Leslie • Charlene Masters • Leonard McCoy • Spock • Nyota Uhura • [[unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (2260s)|unnamed 2260s USS Enterprise personnel]] ([[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel|USS Enterprise personnel]]) Novelization characters :Barstow • James T. Kirk • Lazarus • Ryan Leslie • Charlene Masters • Leonard McCoy • Spock • Nyota Uhura Starships and vehicles : ( heavy cruiser) • Lazarus' spaceship Locations :Lazarus's planet (unnamed Alpha and Beta Quadrant planets, the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant) Earth • Starbase 200 Shipboard areas ;USS Enterprise : bridge • briefing room • cartographic section (referenced) • dilithium reamplification • corridor • engineering • main engineering • quarters • sickbay Races and cultures :Human • Vulcan Technology and weapons :starship • viewscreen States and organizations :Federation • Starfleet (Starfleet Command • command division • operations division • sciences division) Technology and weapons :computer bank • experimentation chamber • explosives • magnetic communication satellite • phaser • phaser bank • safety valve • sensors • spaceship • starship • viewscreen Materials and substances :antimatter • atmosphere • coffee • blood • crystal • dilithium • dilithium crystal • hydrogen • iron • gas • oxygen • silicon Ranks and titles :captain • commander • commodore • commanding officer • communications officer • crewman • doctor • engineer • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • medic • officer • physician • scientist • security • security team • science officer Other references :abrasion • alternative warp • anatomy • antimatter universe • arm • bandage • battle stations • beam • blindness • "Bones" • boot • bruise • bull • captain's log • clothing • Code Factor 1 • deaf • devil • dilithium reamplification • dimension • dimensional door • dinosaur • dizziness • electromagnetism • energizer/energizing circuits • energy • Fahrenheit • Federation members • five-year mission • footprint • forehead • galaxy • general alert • government • gravimetric field • heaven • Hell • homeworld • humanoid • landing party • language • life survey • lifeform • log entry • logic • magnetic corridor • magnetic effect • magnetic field • magnetism • matter • medicine • memory • multiverse • muscleman • nation-state • negative magnetic corridor • orbit • ounce • pants • parallel universe • paranoia • parsec • photographic section • planet • poetry • powder keg • positive universe • priority one • prison • pulsation phenomenon • quadrant • races and cultures • radiation • rank • recuperative powers • red 2 message • rip in the universe • science • space • standard orbit • star • star chart • stardate • Starfleet General Orders and Regulations • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2260s) • technology • time • time chamber • time ship • time travel • title • tunic • uniform • universe • water • weapon • zero gravity Chronology ;prior to the discovery of Lazarus: Lazarus crosses over and encounters his double. (prior to episode/novelization) ;stardate 3087.6, 2267 (2260s chronology, [[voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (2264 to 2270)|2264–2270 Enterprise voyages]]) : Enterprise travels to Lazarus's planet. Appendices Related media * * ** Information about this episode is presented consistently in all volumes. * * * |Short circuit}} Adaptations blish10.jpg|Novelized in Star Trek 10. blish10r.jpg|Novelized in Star Trek 10 reprint. blish10corgi.jpg|Novelized in Star Trek 10 reprint. blish10corgiNEW.jpg|Novelized in Star Trek 10 reprint. ein kleiner Privatkrieg.jpg|Novelization German language translation in Ein kleiner Privatkrieg. ein kleiner PrivatkriegR.jpg|Novelization German language translation reprinted in Ein kleiner Privatkrieg. reader4.jpg|Novelization collected in The Star Trek Reader IV. der große Sammelband 4.jpg|German language novelization translation collected in Der große Sammelband IV. classicEpisodes1.jpg|Novelization collected in The Classic Episodes 1. classicEpisodes.jpg|Novelization collected in The Classic Episodes. Video releases alternativefactorBETAMAX.jpg|Betamax tape cover. tos collector vhs.jpg|Collector's edition VHS release with "Arena". arenaAlternativefactorVHS.jpg|Collector's edition VHS release back cover, with "Arena". alternativefactorVHS.jpg|VHS cover. arena-alternativefactorVHS.jpg|Overseas VHS release with "Arena". alternativefactorVHS2.jpg|VHS cover. alternativefactor-cityontheedgeLaserDisc.jpg|Laserdisc release with "The City on the Edge of Forever". arena-squireofgothos-alternativefactorVHS.jpg|Overseas VHS release with "Arena" and "The Squire of Gothos". arena-alternativefactorDVD.jpg|DVD release with "Arena". tOSseason1DVD.jpg|DVD release in ''TOS'' season 1. Background Because of hardships during filming, this episode ended up being heavily re-written from its original concept to accommodate changes in the production schedule. Several perceptible continuity issues ended up in the final cut due to this. Images Episode images thealternativefactor-hd041.jpg|Title card. tOS planet.jpg|Lazarus's planet. lazarus-planet.jpg|Lazarus's planet. lazarus.jpg|Lazarus. 1701 phasers.jpg|The destroys Lazarus's vessel from orbit. lazarus ship phasered.jpg|Lazarus's ship struck by phaser fire. alternative factor landing party.jpg|Landing party visits Lazarus's ship. masters.jpg|Charlene Masters. 4thSecGuardAlternativeFactor.jpg|Security guard. 3rdSecGuardAlternativeFactor.jpg|Security guard. hadleyAlternativeFactor.jpg|Bill Hadley. harrisonAlternativeFactor.jpg| . navAlternativeFactor.jpg|Navigator. leslieAlternativeFactor.jpg|Ryan Leslie. helmAlternativeFactor.jpg|Helmsman. engineerLtAlternativeFactors.jpg|Engineer. scienceCrewwomanAlternativeFactor.jpg|Science division crewwoman. alternative Factor rec room.jpg|Lazarus in the rec room. alternative factor landing party2.jpg|Landing party visits Lazarus's ship. kirk lazarus.jpg|James T. Kirk confronts Lazarus in the other universe. mastersCharlene.jpg|Charlene Masters. Adaptation images ent1701blish10.jpg|The . ent1701blish10corgi1.jpg|The . ent1701blish10corgi2.jpg|The . ent1701muddsangels.jpg|The . ent1701VHScoll.jpg|The . ent1701grosseSammelband4.jpg|The . spockblish10.jpg|Spock. crewBlish10corgi.jpg|The crew. crewVHScoll1.jpg|The crew. crewVHScoll2.jpg|The crew. Connections Timeline External links * * category:tOS episodes category:tOS season 1